Tuesday 3 November 2009

Carpe pm: seize the afternoon

Yes, if I can't sleep in, it ain't my revolution! etc. I don't know about you, but early's never been my scene. Indeed, I was just recalling the other day, when I was younger, in me carefree 20s with fewer responsibilities to other humans, my normal hours of sleep were 4am to 12pm.

Time and circumstance has modified all that, of course; now its 2am to 8.30am. Cutting back on sleep hasn't really led to any productivity gains though - I rarely have a sentient thought before 10am. My brain still gets 8 hours, though the body has learned sleep-dressing and transport management.

I can't really help it, and to be honest, I don't want to change. These hours of solitude and focus have been the most productive of my life. I reckon I wrote most of my PhD between 10pm and 1am. I guess I'd like to know there are others out there still staying up, despite careers and so on. Perhaps well into middle age!

For example, I suspect my men HET here, princes of Dutch 60s freakbeat, still kick it late*. Now that semester two is nearly done I'm hoping to be back here (at Fort Segue) more often. Check it out!


* Hat tip to my bro, aka
The World of Yentl, for putting me on to this ace track.

6 comments:

The World of Yentl said...

This one het jammen schoppen too.

World of Yentl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rKKcZbN_p0&feature=related

Lefty E said...

I dont know why, but i actually like Dutch in this genre context. Works well, like it wouldn't work with ...say... pop.

Tatyana Larina said...

I so agree. My most productive time has always been in the afternoon, evening, and through the night. I can no longer do it, unfortunately, and have had to force myself to start early and finish not too long after midnight. It feels completely unnatural, but there's no other way (there's breakfast now, and school, and office hours). I dream of being able to work round the clock as my brain would prefer it, but I suspect that won't happen for a very long time. So I just have to keep believing I can produce things with morning work too ...

Great (and unusual) clip. These guys are still partying through the night, for sure ... Sigh.

Lefty E said...

Hey Tatyana - yes its a problem when you live with little people who get up at 7am.

The few times I ve been forced to make an 800am meeting Ive actually felt nauseous!

Glad you like the clip - Dutch never sounded so groovy!

David Irving (no relation) said...

They sound a bit like the Fugs. (Except they play their instruments a bit better.)

Lefty E said...

Yeah, the Fugs were great at concepts & stunts (like levitating the Whitehouse) but they were pretty shit musos David!